The Quevedo Municipal Government and ESPOL signed agreements aimed at establishing the foundations and criteria upon which both institutions will carry out joint initiatives. The agreement begins with the development of the inclusive LOLY-MIDI research project. The program signed between ESPOL and the mayor’s office took place on October 7, as part of the cantonal festivities.
LOLY-MIDI is a project developed by the School of Art, Design, and Audiovisual Communication (FADCOM) in collaboration with the Center for Research, Development, and Innovation in Computer Systems (CIDIS). Its objective is to improve the development of social and cognitive skills in children with special educational needs, focusing primarily on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The event was attended by national and local officials, special guests, and project representatives from ESPOL. Notable attendees included the mayor of Quevedo, John Salcedo, Esq.; Dennys Paillacho, Ph.D., co-director of the project for CIDIS; and Nayeth Solórzano, Ph.D., project director; along with her team.
This project aims to implement a pilot program featuring a robotic platform and educational mobile apps designed to stimulate the cognitive and social development of children with special needs. This initiative stems from an exploratory and experimental study that includes tests of interactive robot-game-human interactions. The project has focused on a specific group of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while expanding its application to typically developing children at two public schools with inclusive education programs in the city of Quevedo.
Professor Solórzano noted that the inclusive LOLY-MIDI project will promote the creation and adaptation of mobile applications based on interactive educational multimedia productions for children (MIDI-AM) linked to a social robot. The goal is to support the education and therapy of children with certain psychosocial disabilities.
Currently, LOLY-MIDI is undergoing evaluation with children with other disabilities and in educational support centers. During the event, Professor Solórzano, on behalf of ESPOL, thanked and congratulated the mayor of Quevedo for his support of children’s education, as children represent one of the country’s most vulnerable groups.
